The Book Thief page 177-Christmas
by Emily Meminger
Summary: My story ended on page 175, on the night my street was bombed in 1943. It has been twenty years since then in the year of 1963, and so I'm summing up my experiences of Christmas, and how it's changed my life.


**Hello everyone! For those of you who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! As for everyone else, happy holidays.**

****The Book Thief****

**A short story by Liesel Meminger**

**Page 177 **

My story ended on page 175, on the night my street was bombed in 1943. It has been twenty years since then in the year of 1963, and so I'm summing up my experiences of Christmas, and how it's changed my life.

I've always pictured Christmas like this, since I learnt the true meaning and heard of traditions. In Germany, everyone spoke of Leb Kuchen and pfeffernusse. And as traditions spread, many countries speak of gingerbread and chestnuts. Australia and New Zealand share their dessert of Pavlova and the UK scones and shortbread.

Many Religions speak of the Nativity, and the birth of Jesus, while all the children screamed in excitement for the knowledge that they'd have a treat waiting for them when they woke up on Christmas morning.

I'd never experienced a true Christmas. I'd learnt of the traditions from the books I thieved, and pulled from the shelf of Frau Hermann's library.

I found the meaning of Christmas to be about family. Before then, it wasn't my favourite time of year. My father left, and about a month later, I was on that train beside the weeping soul of my mother and the absence of my brother's. I disliked Christmas as of then, because I had no family. I was given one, but I hadn't yet seen them as my family.

My new papa gave me a book one Christmas, after the time he caught me twice with a stolen book. One from the snow of the remote graveyard, and two from a pile of flaming books, sat unlit but coated in soot.

I felt my first Christmas when we kept a Jew in our basement. I gave Max a double handful of snow; which also summed up his question for the weather report of the day. Then it gave me an idea, so my papa and I began bringing in buckets of snow, and we all had a snowball fight in the basement, allowing mama to join after papa had hit her with a snowball for the hell of it.

All this Christmas for me had started with little food and no presents, but there was a snowman in our basement.

"It's a midget." Max said as we listened to the breaths of the accordion in a tune of 'Silent Night'.

I remember saying, "This is the best Christmas." Which was for me, and then Max said, "This is my first Christmas."  
>Really it was my first to. I'd lived in the household presence of one, but it had meant nothing to me.<p>

Christmas came again without the Jew and again, and my father was taken away.

He returned with an injured leg and then the year neared Christmas. My papa left me in the basement when he caught me sleeping after I'd finished my book, on the night of October 2.

I woke that Christmas with no family, but only Rudy's presence.

It's now I do have a family, and our relationship grows and strengthens the more we need each other. With my three children Rosanna, Alex and Hanson; Christmas has become magical to me.

I've made some of my own traditions, some of which your family might've done. We sit and watch Christmas movies, and go to the centre of the city to hear the choir of people singing as we join in the carol of bells. I still can't pick which has been most enjoyable out of settling in bed to read a story to my children, or using an empty cardboard roll to chase Rudy around the house with.

I love most to see the joy on everyone's faces. I like now that my mind is at peace, and I'm thankful that my family or isn't threatened by the dangers and scares of war. I live to hope my children live their childhood at their best, and that wars broken out in our world are not forgotten, as to prevent it from happening again, and to honour people who made great sacrifice, and were brought down to loss.

I hear the bad occurrences in this world, and I'm always thankful that it's not my family that have to go through the struggles, as I'd always hated the experience myself.

I respect Christmas as a time to notice what would be missing from a family, which brings us closer; and throughout the years Rudy and I have rebuilt our childhood and are still living it. I will admit I still have my days of living it like an eight year old. And as the Doctor said himself, 'What's the point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes?'

It's the for symbols of hope, peace, love and joy that brings together a family, so no matter how stressful life gets as it progresses, I've found to be thankful for what I have. I can never change the past, but I can prepare for what is to come.

**Merry Christmas! **

**I haven't updated anything in so long, but I'm working on it. My mum has had her surgery, and the doctors are pretty sure they got 100% of the cancer out. **

**So with that out of the way, I'll bring you some more frequent updates!**


End file.
